in the Cincinnati of 1883, a stagecoach still ran from Sixth and Main, Barney Kroger had only two stores, and believe it or not, a new hospital for children had trouble getting patients, even though its services were completely free.

That's because in 1883, a hospital was a feared place. Sick people with money or responsible families were cared for at home, and doctors came to them. Only the poor and the very sick went to hospitals where, if they didn't die, they were sure to catch something they didn't have when they arrived.

Conditions were especially bad for children. Stuck in corners or on cots alongside adult beds, they were exposed to all kinds of diseases.

After seeing the deplorable way young patients were treated in the old Cincinnati Hospital, Mrs. Robert Dayton went to her friend Isabelle Hopkins, sister of Mary (Mrs. Thomas J.) Emery, to enlist her aid in starting a hospital for children. In November 1883, the foundation of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center was set: